And We're BAAAACK: Observations From Juarez
Random thoughts as they pop into my brain:
We sent an advance team to set up camp and do the shopping for the week who went in a day previous to do their work. That team was mostly adults and older high schoolers. This meant that the bus ride with the rest of the team was me, my staff and mostly underclassmen. 12 hours with underclassmen and their conversations can be somewhat trying, even if you've been in student ministry as long as I have.
With so many on the advance team, the needed volunteers to return across the border to supervise the underclassmen got back to the hotel before it got dark. This is unprecedented.
The weather this year was actually bearable. We were in a barrio tucked away in a "bowl" within the mountains and while it was still hot, there was a breeze all day, every day.
You can tell a lot about parents and their parenting by observing the work ethic and responses of their teenagers to worksite "set backs."
Bucket showers suck, even if I've done them for 8 years now.
Afternoons without dust storms make for an infinitely better trip. Instead of spending our early evenings trying to keep tents standing and securing equipment, the teens spent bonding. The student ministry is as close right now as its ever been. The seniors did a great job of getting to know the underclassmen, too.
The adults had as much fun as the kids, if not moreso.
Mobile phones change the dynamics of the trip...nearly every teen had one. Almost everybody had their service accesible from the campsite, so everyone could use theirs. It had upsides, such as younger ones getting to get some "mom reassurance" during the more difficult days or calling parents to let them know how close the bus was to home. It also had downsides, like older ones calling their boyfriends before bed or text messaging each other from across the camp. I think next year I'll allow them, but have a half-hour each evening they can be used.
Suburban teenagers can be very hard workers when they choose to be. The kids enjoy being taught how to saw and hammer and mix concrete and do stucco. They all had good attitudes (shiny, happy people) for the majority of the week.
Mr. Bother is funny to everybody except who it's happening to.
We eat really well on this trip. Barbecue chicken. Burritos & tacos. Brisket. Sure we had one night of hot dogs and hamburgers, but we really did have some great cooks and kitchen workers. One night they had cobbler made in dutch ovens for dessert. They even had Starbucks coffee ready every morning over the campfire. Very cool.
There are stories of the barrio that only someone with extensive knowledge of Spanish could work through...and one lady in our group walked up and down the neighborhood just listening to those stories. Rapes. Drugs. Arson. Spousal abuse. Hunger. Job losses. I could go on. There were also tales of sticking together, helping one another, looking out for each other and other tales of joy. I guess when you have that many desperate people that close together in that heat with very little hope, I'd imagine you'd see both the best and worst of human nature.
Watching adults realize that you don't have to fear teenagers never gets old.
We have some very cool freshmen. The future of our ministry looks very bright. The present of our ministry ain't looking too bad, either, for that matter. If last night's Sunday School attendance is any indication, we're in for some very large spiritual growth.
At night it got very chilly...which couldn't have been nicer. If the whole day were like that, I could enjoy camping.
There's no way to look cool walking to the outdoor restroom facilities (across the campsite, too) carrying a roll of toilet paper.
Bon Jovi can get a new generation of teenagers in a good mood. Catchy anthem rock is something they've never heard or experienced. They sing the choruses with gusto.
No matter how you slice it, setting up camp for a week, building 5 homes in 3.5 days with a teenage labor force who has no power tools, transporting 105 people 2 hours round trip every day, tearing down camp, having enough food and water, and travelling to and from Dallas with no major injuries or illnesses...well...let's just say God is gracious and leave it at that.
Handing a formerly homeless person in a barrio the keys to their new home with a lock, windows and all that, never gets old...despite this being my 8th trip.
Random thoughts as they pop into my brain:
We sent an advance team to set up camp and do the shopping for the week who went in a day previous to do their work. That team was mostly adults and older high schoolers. This meant that the bus ride with the rest of the team was me, my staff and mostly underclassmen. 12 hours with underclassmen and their conversations can be somewhat trying, even if you've been in student ministry as long as I have.
With so many on the advance team, the needed volunteers to return across the border to supervise the underclassmen got back to the hotel before it got dark. This is unprecedented.
The weather this year was actually bearable. We were in a barrio tucked away in a "bowl" within the mountains and while it was still hot, there was a breeze all day, every day.
You can tell a lot about parents and their parenting by observing the work ethic and responses of their teenagers to worksite "set backs."
Bucket showers suck, even if I've done them for 8 years now.
Afternoons without dust storms make for an infinitely better trip. Instead of spending our early evenings trying to keep tents standing and securing equipment, the teens spent bonding. The student ministry is as close right now as its ever been. The seniors did a great job of getting to know the underclassmen, too.
The adults had as much fun as the kids, if not moreso.
Mobile phones change the dynamics of the trip...nearly every teen had one. Almost everybody had their service accesible from the campsite, so everyone could use theirs. It had upsides, such as younger ones getting to get some "mom reassurance" during the more difficult days or calling parents to let them know how close the bus was to home. It also had downsides, like older ones calling their boyfriends before bed or text messaging each other from across the camp. I think next year I'll allow them, but have a half-hour each evening they can be used.
Suburban teenagers can be very hard workers when they choose to be. The kids enjoy being taught how to saw and hammer and mix concrete and do stucco. They all had good attitudes (shiny, happy people) for the majority of the week.
Mr. Bother is funny to everybody except who it's happening to.
We eat really well on this trip. Barbecue chicken. Burritos & tacos. Brisket. Sure we had one night of hot dogs and hamburgers, but we really did have some great cooks and kitchen workers. One night they had cobbler made in dutch ovens for dessert. They even had Starbucks coffee ready every morning over the campfire. Very cool.
There are stories of the barrio that only someone with extensive knowledge of Spanish could work through...and one lady in our group walked up and down the neighborhood just listening to those stories. Rapes. Drugs. Arson. Spousal abuse. Hunger. Job losses. I could go on. There were also tales of sticking together, helping one another, looking out for each other and other tales of joy. I guess when you have that many desperate people that close together in that heat with very little hope, I'd imagine you'd see both the best and worst of human nature.
Watching adults realize that you don't have to fear teenagers never gets old.
We have some very cool freshmen. The future of our ministry looks very bright. The present of our ministry ain't looking too bad, either, for that matter. If last night's Sunday School attendance is any indication, we're in for some very large spiritual growth.
At night it got very chilly...which couldn't have been nicer. If the whole day were like that, I could enjoy camping.
There's no way to look cool walking to the outdoor restroom facilities (across the campsite, too) carrying a roll of toilet paper.
Bon Jovi can get a new generation of teenagers in a good mood. Catchy anthem rock is something they've never heard or experienced. They sing the choruses with gusto.
No matter how you slice it, setting up camp for a week, building 5 homes in 3.5 days with a teenage labor force who has no power tools, transporting 105 people 2 hours round trip every day, tearing down camp, having enough food and water, and travelling to and from Dallas with no major injuries or illnesses...well...let's just say God is gracious and leave it at that.
Handing a formerly homeless person in a barrio the keys to their new home with a lock, windows and all that, never gets old...despite this being my 8th trip.
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